PHOTO: Mary van Balen
Friends. God’s Grace. Emerson said, “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” Tonight I would add that they are also the support that keeps it standing.
I have been emotionally fragile for the past week or so. Alone in the early evening, sorting through Christmas ornaments and preparing to pack up the last few things in the house we are selling, I realized I did not have the heart for the work. I called a friend to see if he would like to go out to eat; he had other plans. I stared at the mess for a while and decided what I really wanted to do was drive back home and have dinner; I wished I had someone to share it with me.
I called a friend from my theology study days and she offered to meet me at a restaurant despite having already eaten. Forty-five minutes later we were sitting at a table. I ordered wine and fish and she sipped on a glass of ice water. Heartfelt sharing continued until we walked to our cars and parted after a warm hug.
I had not been home longer than five minutes when the phone rang. My night sky-watching friend called to see how I was doing. We both wished the sky was clear instead of harboring a storm; who knew, perhaps we could have seen a glimpse of the spectacular aurora borealis that was painting the sky further north. The Perseid meteor shower arrives next Thursday and depending on my work schedule, we might be able to spend an evening sitting atop her grassy roof watching.
After our conversation, while I was checking email, the phone rang again. This time it was one of my oldest friends, not by age, but by longevity of the relationship: We were college roommates our first year away from home. We have tramped through Europe together and camped across the country to South Dakota to climb Harney Peak and pray where Black Elk had prayed. We have supported one another through deaths of our mothers and of a friend.
Rita is not known for keeping in touch, but that doesn’t seem to matter. When we do see one another, talk over the phone, or write a letter (It has happened) the connection is deep and true. We caught up on life’s blessings and challenges and ended the conversation only because I had another call, from one of my daughters.
As I type, thunder rumbles and rain pelts the windows, but that is nothing compared to the deluge of love and warmth that has been falling on me all evening and late into this night.
© 2010 Mary van Balen
Speak Your Mind